Revealing the fine line between designing houses and alcoholism, the violent past of a famous architect and a new role for Winnie the Pooh
Bear all
Step aside Peter Rogers, Nigel Griffiths and Michael Latham, construction has chosen a new leader 鈥� Winnie the Pooh. The cuddly creature was put forward as the 鈥減atron saint鈥� of the industry by David Adamson, director of Cambridge University鈥檚 estates arm. Why so? Was it because the industry has very little brain and an obsession with honey? Indeed not. Adamson supported his nomination by showing guests a picture of Pooh being dragged downstairs by Christopher Robin, over the caption: 鈥淏umping along can鈥檛 be the only way to get there.鈥� The suggestion was greeted with wild applause by the gathered hordes.
Shurely shum mishtake 鈥�
The Housing Design Awards have been given a facelift and are to be relaunched this week. The facelifter was consultant Design for Homes, and part of its strategy was to give the gongs their very own website. Sadly, HousingDesignAwards.org had too many letters, so how about hda.org? That domain had been registered years ago but never used. It all looked promising until enquiries revealed it was the property of the Heavy Drinkers Association. And apparently they鈥檙e still out to lunch.
Little Britain, big cheques
The behemoth that is the Little Britain regatta continues apace. This years was launched at the London Boat Show last week 鈥� the picture above was taken at the event, and shows Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson and Ben Ainslie receiving a 拢14,500 cheque from the organisers on behalf of two sailing charities.
The race for construction and property teams will be open to 250 yachts this year. One hopes the increased traffic at the event, to be held on 8-11 September, doesn鈥檛 spark more of the accidents that befell participants at last year鈥檚 event, and that event chairman David Kong (presenting the cheque) can control the crew of his Domus boat, who were ticked off for rowdy behaviour.
Killer Ken
News reaches me of violent behaviour from mild-mannered Ken Shuttleworth who, it appears, has a history of beating people up. Don Shuttleworth, Ken鈥檚 brother, revealed at Make鈥檚 first anniversary party last week that the 10-year-old Ken had once broken Don鈥檚 arm in the Shuttleworth family鈥檚 back garden. 鈥淜en was doing all these judo moves he鈥檇 learned,鈥� recalls Don, who was a tender eight at the time. 鈥淗e鈥檇 learned how to throw me but, unfortunately, I hadn鈥檛 been taught how to land.鈥� Norman Foster be warned.
Brad 4 Frank
Brad Pitt鈥檚 surprise split from Jennifer Aniston last week does have a bright side for the Troy star. A confirmed architecture nut, he has been helping his friend Frank Gehry on a scheme in Los Angeles, and has reportedly also had some input into Gehry鈥檚 first British project, the 拢220m King Alfred鈥檚 Leisure Centre in Brighton. Rumours that Tom Cruise is reprising his mission impossible role at Elephant & Castle remain unconfirmed.
Anyone in search of a good drunken brawl at this year鈥檚 MIPIM could do worse than pitch up at the London stand. Developer Arrowcroft has been allocated a stand for its Croydon Gateway scheme almost directly opposite the funders of a rival scheme, Schroders. Only a scale model of London divides the two teams, who after years of disputes are still at loggerheads over the scheme. 鈥淧eople are already calling it no man鈥檚 land,鈥� said one concerned observer.
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